Alright guys, I want everyone to be honest here. I want to know if you guys drink, you know, like beer, wine or liquor or whatever. As I research bodybuilding more and more, I find that there is not much room at all for “partying”. How do you guys do you’re partying? Once a month? On the Weekends? Once a week? What’s up? Also how often do you guys allow yourself an all-out cheat meal like pizza, all you can eat buffalo wings, or something like that?
Well, since I started the T-dawg diet I have avoided alcohol. When I do drink I stick to light beer and I don’t drink that many, just enough to appear relatively normal in a social setting. I find if you are hanging out with people who are drinking they prefer that you have a few drinks with them.
I’ve never been a drinker. So I may have one or two drinks a year! But I tend to party every weekend and sometimes I may actually party once or twice during the week. But I usually keep it to the weekends. I can have a great time without drinking alcohol. In fact, most people think I do drink because I tend to get wild and crazy just from drinking water!
As for pizza and wings, I won’t eat that stuff. Nor will I eat fast food. A cheat meal for me is usually when I go out to dinner somewhere and order dessert! That’s all I really need for a cheat meal. Otherwise, I have no problem eating clean all the time. I actually feel healthier when I eat clean.
I feel like I have to have a few releases from the lifestyle of training and eating well all the time. I am not a pro bodybuilder (never will be) and I know that letting myself slide on the weekends will be negated by the extensive working out and physical labor that I do during the week. Day in and day out of clean eating and OBSESSIVE lifting and cardio drains me and I feel deprived and miserable- to the point that I need to step back and realize that something I started to make my life better is now taking from my zest for living. So I let it go wide open and have fun on the weekends- beer, partying, etc. and stay clean during the week. Call me undedicated or a pussy for not living the spartan lifestyle if that’s your thing, but I have to put it into a perspective that makes me feel good. Benjamin Franklin said, “Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy.” Granted, he was fat and bald but they say he was pretty smart.
I only drink alcohol once every two months and sometimes if I’m really in the mood once a month. As far as cheating on my diet I will allow myself to cheat a few times a week if I am on a mass phase but if I am cutting I don’t cheat.
I drink about four times a year. I like to call it “my quarterly drinking binge”. Honestly, I can’t stand drinking unless I’m in that rare mood. My party vice is smoking. I like to take about 3-6 puffs of some nice kind buds. NO, I never smoke cigarettes. I’ll probably get shit for posting this, but who cares: I think smoking actually increases my recovery. How? The only way I can totally relax my body is through massage or toking the reefer. I’m able to eliminate cramps, knots, and DOM by smoking. The next day, I’m virtually never sore no matter the previous day’s workout. I never eat shitty when I have the munchies, and I’ve only been smoking one or twice a week, on the weekends. YES, I’ve experimented with smoking vs. non-smoking recovery times, and toking is actually better for me. Ok, go ahead and flame me now… =)
I drink about a bottle or two of wine per week. I really let myself go this past Thanksgiving. I really got smashed with some friends I had not seen in years, and my dad and I like to sit around and discuss life, politics and philosophy, over many a beers. Did it hurt my training. Certainly. Would I do it again. Certainly. I get really drunk about three or four times a year, but I enjoy it. Training is not the be all and end all for me.
I drink a glass of red wine a few days a week. But only one glass at a time. I use “cheat meals” as needed depending on what my current physique objectives are. When I’m attempting to burn a lot of fat, I don’t “cheat” much. I may go 6 months without a cheat meal. But when I’m trying to gain muscle, I may eat Pizza or McDonalds once or twice a week. As I get older, I party a lot less than I did when I was in my early twenties and my progress with gaining muscle and burning fat has been much more pronounced. But, If I had the chance to do it over again, I would still party my ass off as I did in college. Builds character. Just don’t lose sight of your objectives.
Most bodybuilders tend to go to extremes in everything. Extreme dedication, motivation, consistency, etc…but also when a bodybuilder cheats on his diet it’s usually a “big” cheat…like 2 or 3 whole pizzas and a 1/2 gallon of ice cream or something to that effect. Or when it comes to partying rather than just enjoying a couple of drinks the bber will really crank it up and get wasted beyond belief and totally trashed. So I’d say no most bodybuilders don’t necessarily live the lifestyle you describe 100% of the time.
Not to belittle your question, but I just got this email from a buddy, and thought it an appropriate response to your question. And you thought soy was bad…
Here is some sad news about beer. You have to hope that this is flawed, but the evidence seems irrefutable. Recently, scientists for Health Canada suggested that the results of a new study revealed the presence of female hormones in beer and suggested that men should take a look at their beer consumption. The theory is that drinking beer makes men turn into women.
To test the theory, 100 men were each fed six pints of beer within a one-hour period. It was then observed that 100% of the men gained weight, talked excessively without making sense, became overly emotional, couldn’t drive, failed to think rationally, argued over nothing, had to sit down to piss, couldn’t perform sexually, and refused to
apologize when wrong.
No further testing is planned.
Growing up in a college town I have always drank alot, but it’s helped me notice how bad it can slow your results. Lifting always comes first but I usually find time to party one night every weekend or so, but moderation is key. I also enjoy a little pot pretty much every day. As for pizza and stuff I’m usually more flexible on mass phases and very strict during cutting.
I would say it depends on your goals and other factors like age, training program and diet. I am currently trying to gain size and strength, so I do “cheat” or “pig out” once or twice a week. This keeps me sane and allows for more self-control. If you are going for the shredded look, I would cheat maybe once a week, but not an all out cheat. Maybe cheat a little bit to satisfy your cravings. As for alcohol, from what I understand it takes 48hrs for your metabolism to recover from drinking (probably several drinks), therefore anabolism would be shot for that time. If you’re young-17-22yr, I don’t think that it’s that big of factor. There are a lot of different variables to consider; like how bad do you want to be shredded or get huge.
I used to drink every week to the point where I was drunk (and I enjoyed the heck outta myself). Since I became serious about training (thanks to T-mag), I completely quit. I haven’t touched the stuff in months. It’s not hard to do. Anyway, thought I might fill you in with how quitting has affected my body. The most noticeable thing is that my sex drive honestly increased a lot. This is a pretty good sign that my T-levels raised a bit. Also, my Monday workouts seem more intense and I also recover slightly faster as well. All in all, I will most likely not get drunk ever again. Good luck getting dry!
I’ve had one beer since I discovered this magazine. That was on the fourth of july. I used to be pretty bad… like pounding beers right before I left for school or work. Now, I can’t even keep one down… it makes me sick to my stomach. But I’ve always been partial to reefer, thats been my poison since freshman year of high school. I still smoke everyday and don’t get hungry like most people do. It actually seems to help my MD6 “kick in”, it’s kind of weird. As far as cheat meals go… maybe once or twice every couple of weeks. I can’t go much longer than that without a huge order of combination fried rice.
This is a tough one to field…I posted something really similar back in June about this. It really depends on what your goals are I guess. If you are putting on size a little splurging now and then is going to be a lot less of a hinderance then if you are trying to be a paper-thin-skin freak. Things also that have to be taken into account are how important a splurge is to you. If you are one of those people like me who needs to let go a day a week in order to keep yourself from giving up all together then by all means do it. You work out; you are strict 99% of the time. For Chrissakes take your girl out to dinner and a movie.
Ervery big guy i Know cheats,ervey guy who stays average- eats clean all the time, every now and then your body needs those extra cal’s,
my opinion
People are probably gonna shit on me for saying this but I get drunk thursday, friday and saturday. I enjoy training and I enjoy drinking. My diet is otherwise immaculate. I stay lean and despite my habit have been making gains consistently so I am not gonna change it. I know it is hurting my training but hey I am all for balance in life and this is the balance that makes me happy. If drinking isnt your thing thats cool with me but I enjoy it so I do it. I rarely cheat junk food wise. Maybe once a month Ill split a pizza with my roommate otherwise I keep it spotless.
It has been my experience and observation that some individuals can drink daily and still maintain an excellant physique and others cannot. Overall, I do not believe a man is going to be adversely effected by a few beers even on a regular basis.
I have a similar attitude about overeating. Years ago guys would get down on themselves big time for eating something high in fat content - now we know that is not necvessarily a bad thing. Yet, they would obsess about it and I think this is where the harm comes in - constant worrying and tension over some minor, percieved eating "infraction."
Another issue is the use of opiates. There is a trend in some lifting circles to use opiates before a workout to better deal with the pain. Few people know that opiates lower testosterone levels big time. Worse, many guys who thought they would just use them for workouts end up using them all the time and once this happens very few can do both with any success.
So bottom line, don't sweat a few beers or a bag of chips - if you work out hard and eat right 90% of the time it really doesn't matter - other than in your head. Be careful of opiates - avoid that route entirely.
What kinds of opiates are you talking about? You talking like painkillers? Codeine and what not. That’s crazy… I couldn’t imagine holding a loaded barbell over my body when I’m whacked out of my head. I figure most guys that are that into training would like the “pain”… why numb your body?
Being in college and age 19, I drink almost every weekend and get drunk beyond belief about 2 times a month. I have been very consistent in my gains and have not found alcohol to be a hindrance in any way. I do tend to be a little bloated the next day after a binge. But that is easily solved with a hard training session. Also, I cheat all the time. My diet is not superb, but I get at least 300gms of protein a day and have seen significant gains in mass over the past year(about the same time I discovered this mag). My mentality about protein has been the most revolutionary. Every meal I think “protein, where can I get protein.” That simple change and the addition of protein supplements and creatine has made a significant difference. I do plan to clean up my diet significantly for the Growth Surge Project. If I notice a substantial difference, I will change my ways. Otherwise, I will drink alcohol, smoke weed, and eat Taco Bell once a week. That’s just me. I love to party, but I also LOVE to train hard. I have been able to mix them well.